Yesterday when we welcomed various ministers to The Mulloon Institute’s living campus at Mulloon Creek Natural Farms, Gary Nairn our Chairman made a very moving welcome speech acknowledging our Founders Tony Coote AM and his wife Toni.

Without the outstanding efforts of these two generous people we would not have been standing there welcoming Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison (ScoMo), nor would we have been able to share with him the work that could help make our lands more drought resilient in a changing climate.

Acknowledgement must also be made of independent landscape thinker Peter Andrews OAM who has developed the techniques known as Natural Sequence Farming which have been applied and showcased at Mulloon Creek.

We owe a lot to these generous people and wish to acknowledge their dedication in making yesterday a reality.

Tony and Toni Coote

Following is a transcript of Gary’s speech from yesterday.

"THE HON GARY NAIRN AO: Welcome to Mulloon Creek Natural Farms and the campus of The Mulloon Institute. I really wish it had been Tony Coote standing here today to welcome you."

"Tony and his wife, also Toni, established The Mulloon Institute back in 2011 following work that was done on Mulloon Creek and demonstrating and proving how landscape repair and rehydration results in a much better agricultural outcome."

"Tony was certainly aware that we’d planned on a visit from the Prime Minister and the Agricultural Minister but unfortunately we lost him just over two months ago."

"So, I’m effectively standing in his place. For media purposes and things, he bequeathed these farms, these working farms, it was about 6,000 acres all up. We produce over 80,000 eggs a week, organic free-range biodynamic eggs and also we have several hundred head of cattle and pigs."

"It’s a working farm and we wanted – he wanted – to see going on forever the demonstration of landscape rehydration and how it assists agriculture into the future. So it’s a great pleasure to have you here, Prime Minister, and good to catch up again."